Interview Dos and Don'ts From Dave Ramsey's Human Resources Team

In Part 1 of this series, Dave Ramsey’s Human Resource Director, Rick Perry, shared the dos and don'ts of crafting your best resume ... and, for business leaders, how to find the cream of the crop. So now, it's interview time!

Your heart pounds as you put on your best professional suit, double-check your resume and leave the house extra early to be there on time. So what now?

OK, Rick. So the applicant has set up an interview. What do they need to know?

Rick Perry: If it’s a phone interview, be available and prepared. Do some research and find out about the company you interview with. I hate it when people don’t research our company. I’ve had patronizing moments where a person doesn’t know about something we do and fakes interest when I tell him or her about it. They’ll say "Oh, that’s great! I didn’t know that!" They are trying to strike a little revelation moment, like when you realize you both went to the same high school or something. Don’t do that.

What if it’s not a phone interview, but live and in person. What then?

RP:Bring your own questions to the interview. Think about what you want to know about them. What is an average work day like? What is the company culture like? I like it when people ask me about the company and get my take on it. That adds a human quality to it. They ask person-to-person what it’s like to work here.

Definitely don’t wear anything to the interview that could be distracting. If you have tattoos, make sure they are covered up. Women shouldn’t wear anything too revealing or a lot of perfume because when an applicant does something like that and distracts from the interview focus, it destroys the interview. One woman I recently met with wore so much perfume when she came to tour our building that I almost couldn’t get on the elevator with her. She was very articulate and experienced for the job, but that was distracting.

Any horror stories?

RP: I’ve had people who didn’t have an appointment sit down at the front desk and refuse to leave until they’ve talked to Dave or someone in HR about a job. They think that’s showing determination, but it’s very unappealing.